Why

is

Rated "PG" For Crude Humor

On the week of 5/16/2003, the MPAA has given this film a "PG" rating, due to "Mild Crude Humor". The previous 2 Rugrats films were given "G" ratings, despite the fact that they had their share of potty humor as well.

Before this film, the previous 2 Nicktoon films also had "PG" ratings -- The Wild Thornberrys Movie (due to "adventure peril") and Hey Arnold, The Movie (for the even more vague "thematic elements").

Whether or not a PG rating can make or break a film remains to be seen, though the odds are against Nick -- Thornberrys and Arnold both barely broke even by the time they came to video, while the G-rated Rugrats films (as well as Jimmy Neutron, also rated "G") were huge successes.

How It Rates In The Great White North

For Canadian movie-goers, ratings will vary from province-to-province, as each province or region has a different ratings system. However, it appears that all provinces across Canada are bucking the MPAA's "PG" rating by issuing a "G" rating, which, since Ontario's change of ratings system in early 2003, is now universal throughout Canada.

Here's how Rugrats Go Wild rated in each province:

Province	By Authority Of:	Rated:
Nova Scotia New Brunswick Prince Edward Island Newfoundland & Labrador	Maritime Film Classification Board, led by the Alcohol and Gaming Authority of Nova Scotia
Quebec	Régie du Cinéma (also here)	"Pour enfants"
Ontario	Ontario Film Review Board (also here)
Manitoba	Manitoba Film Classification Board (also here)
Alberta Northwest Territories	Alberta Film Classification Services (also here)
British Columbia Sasketchewan Yukon	British Columbia Film Classification Office (also here)
Nationwide Videos	Canadian Motion Picture Distributor Assocation (system patterned after BC's movie ratings)	(Projected)

(Some ratings information from Grading The Movies)

Ratings Elsewhere

It seems that the world is bucking the "PG" trend with this film, by giving their equivalent of a "G" rating, instead of "PG". One example is in Britain, where the BBFC has rated Rugrats Go Wild as "U" ("Universal"), which is their eqiuvalent to the MPAA's "G". While the film was certified "U" with no cuts made, a "mild peril" advisory was given in adjunct to the "U".

What's in this film, really?

• Solid moral worldview with a moral message that families should work and play together and baby refers to God, but images of pagan island totems in two scenes (but used only for decoration and atmosphere) and one brief comical reference to Buddhist meditation during credits;
  
  
• several uses of the word butt, implied seasickness, baby eats bugs, and several jokes about diapers and dogs using trees and sniffing themselves;
  
  
• comical and action violence includes huge ocean storm tips boat over, kids rolling down hills, man knocked out a couple times, man falls down cliff and lands on his crotch, and dog teases tiger, which lunges at him and tries to claw him;
  
  
• rear nudity and upper nudity of babies;
  
  
• no alcohol use or smoking;
  
  
• and, adults argue, girl can talk with animals, and selfish, bossy little girl antagonizes babies.
  

And according to ChildCare Action Project (CAP): Christian Analysis of American Culture, an even grimmer picture is painted of the film, rebuking the reviews given by other Christian and religious groups, in, what I call, a "GGG" language:

Wanton Violence / Crime (W):

• predator attack of small childrenrepeatedly action violence
  
  
• repeatedly peril at sea
  
  
• capsizing at sea with threat of drowning toddlers alone in jungle
  
  
• repeatedly ants crawling into toddler's mouth
  
  
• toddlers eating bugs
  
  
• repeatedly great falls with no consequences
  
  
• reckless endangerment
  
  
• toddler daring a leopard

Impudence / Hate (I):

• meanness
  
  
• repeatedly impudence toward parents and parents

• showing little concern for teen's wishes

• toilet / crude humor

• repeatedly toddler urinating behind a bush
  
  
• dog urinating with hind leg raised

• wedgie
  
  
• toddler letting baby lick his feet
  
  
• crotch hit
  
  
• "...sniff my [posterior]
  
  
• "...I like it" [feces]
  
  
• sniffing and sneezing on a leopard's posterior
  
  
• bird droppings
  
  
• "I ate one of Chuckie's diapers once - it was spicy."
  
  
• lies
  
  
• leaving adolescents in charge of toddlers and baby
  
  
• music clearly inducive of arrogance

Sex / Homosexuality (S):

• toddlers dropping diapers to moon

• sensuality, repeatedly

Drugs/Alcohol (D):

• none noted

Offense to God (O):

• one use of God's name in vain without the four letter expletive. remember that Jesus is God.

Murder/Suicide (M):

• none noted